The damage is so bad, members of the Orleans Parish School Board had to call an emergency meeting Thursday.

During a building inspection Tuesday at Sophie B. Wright Charter on Napoleon, it was discovered the school had suffered extensive termite damage, from an earlier infestation. Forcing officials to close off the auditorium and cafeteria.

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"We are most concerned about the safety and well-being of our students," Sharon Clark, director of the charter school told the OPSB.

The school is part of the Recovery School District (RSD) but the century-old building is owned by the OPSB.

According to a contractor at Thursday's meeting, the problem was first documented in November 2012. However, it wasn't until Tuesday's follow-up inspection that inspectors recommended immediate action be taken to repair the damage.

"I'm not sure why weren't told about this problem back in November," said Leslie Ellison, the OPSB vice president.

Ellison questioned why students were still inside the building and not being moved to another building until repairs could be made.

"If we are going to call it an emergency, we need to move these kids out immediately," Ellison said.

According to Clark, the RSD has not asked her to vacate the building and she assured the OPSB her 500 students were not in any immediate danger.

"That's correct. We have taped off the affected area and we are working with the student body to make this transition as smooth as possible," Clark said. "Our kids are safe, otherwise we wouldn't still be holding classes at Sophie B. Wright."

At the end of the meeting, the OPSB voted unanimously to pass a motion allowing for a public emergency to be declared allowing officials to begin repairs immediately and not go through a traditional bidding process that can take months.

In the meantime, students are eating lunch in other areas of the school and outside vendors are supplying food that meets child nutrition guidelines.

The immediate repairs are expected to take about 45 days. A complete renovation of the school is scheduled to begin this summer.